“Monkey Man” has been added to Prime Video. Please take a look this week.
When I wrote about The Monkey Man earlier this year, I called it my most anticipated movie of the year. The trailer looked great and had me looking forward to getting the next “John Wick.”
@tomsguide ♬ Lo-fi hip hop – NAO-K
After watching this movie in theaters, we admit that we didn’t fully understand the upcoming “John Wick.” First, while the trailer shows us a movie that is essentially “What if John Wick was from Mumbai?”, the actual movie is much more subtle. The film’s story includes a whole level of socio-political commentary that doesn’t exist in the world of John Wick. I wish the trailer had emphasized this nuance, as it gives Monkey Man something that sets it apart from other action movies.
Regardless, this movie promises to be worth watching for movie buffs and action movie buffs alike. Here’s what “Monkey Man” is about and why it’s a must-see on Prime Video.
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The Monkey Man is the directorial debut of Oscar-nominated actor Dev Patel. However, he also wrote and produced the film, and stars as the main character in the film, known only as The Kid.
Kid is a young man who survives by fighting in the underground fighting club “Tiger’s Temple” as an anonymous fighter wearing a monkey mask. Banished after corrupt police chief Rana Singh (Sikandar Kher) massacres Kid’s entire village, including Kid’s mother (Aditi Kalkunte), he dreams of taking revenge on Rana.
One day, he finally infiltrates the city’s evil elite and ends up working at King’s, an upscale brothel frequented by Lana and other social elites. Once there, Kid climbs the ladder and is finally able to carry out his plan of revenge.
‘Monkey Man’ isn’t quite as good as ‘John Wick’, but it’s still great
(Image credit: Universal Pictures/YouTube)
Again, the above synopsis feels like a standard action movie setup. The villain wrongs the hero, the hero trains to fight the villain – violence ensues.
But Lana isn’t the film’s true villain. He is just a pawn of Baba Shakti, the guru and leader of a nationalist party who is secretly pulling the strings behind the oppression of minorities like the group that destroyed Kidd’s village.
This turns “Monkey Man” into something more. In the second half of the film, a simple revenge story turns into a hero’s journey that examines the struggles of marginalized people in society. I wish the movie had started with this story sooner, as it’s relatively well executed and a more intriguing storyline.
“Monkey Man” isn’t perfect. The transition from revenge story to hero’s journey isn’t seamless, and the film lacks coherence at times. I found myself bumping into Patel’s directorial choices at times, and perhaps the film could have been a little shorter.
But “Monkey Man” is still very good, with good action sequences and choreographed fights. There are fight scenes, especially in the second half of the movie, that rival any martial arts movie. Now that it’s on Prime Video, be sure to check out this action movie, one of my favorites so far this year.
Stream “Monkey Man” now on Prime Video
